No-show ministers a joke

THREE state ministers and the head of the Tourism Authority   have been no-shows at meeting with the plenary of Panama’s National Assembly.

Minister of Health Francisco Javier Terrientes, Minister of Education Marcela Paredes de Vasquez and Minister of Public Security Rodolfo Aguilera have all been summoned but have yet to appear. Tourism Authority Administrator Gustavo Him has also failed to show, reports La Prensa.

Terrientes was summoned to answer questions about the spread of the zika, chikungunya and dengue viruses. Him was summoned to explain the $127,000 spent to rent trucks during the 2016 Carnival.

Paredes de Vasquez was asked to update legislators on the condition of schools across the country and the payment of the universal scholarships while Aguilera was called to answer questions related to insecurity in the country.

The failure of the ministers to appear have been called “a joke” by some representatives of civil societies, who say that such requests by the legislature should be respected.

Assembly Second Vice President Raúl Hernández said that the hearings will be scheduled.